The 3-year-old followed in the footsteps of her mother Arapaho Miss (Danehill Dancer {Ire}), who won the Oaks for trainer Pat Carey and jockey Corey Brown in 2007, and the classic family double was in the bag a long way from home.
Miami Bound may have taken control of the race a fair way out, but rider Damien Oliver was always in the fun zone and they careered away to give her conditioner Danny O’Brien a dream carnival.
The Flemington trainer repelled the European invasion when he won the G1 Melbourne Cup with Vow And Declare (Declaration Of War {USA}) and on Thursday completed a memorable carnival with his G2 Wakeful S. winner.
“It’s been fantastic and the two horses we really thought were going to measure up for us during Cup week were Vow And Declare and this filly and they’ve had three runs here and they’ve won them all,” O’Brien said.
“I’m thrilled for this filly, we’ve had high hopes for her and really looking forward to this day and it’s come off.
“I’m thrilled for this filly, we’ve had high hopes for her and really looking forward to this day and it’s come off.” – Danny O’Brien
“We’ve been waiting to run her at 2500 metres from the day we got her and once Damien let the brakes off I knew she’d charge. She’s got the motor and stamina and she really showed that.”
O’Brien’s first Group 1 winner was Porta Roca (Barathea {Ire}) in the 2001 G1 Coolmore Classic and she was ridden by Oliver, but not until Thursday had they successfully combined again at the top level.
Miami Bound (NZ) connection and Danny O'Brien
“I’m surprised about that. It’s a shame, he could have ridden Vow And Declare, but to be fair no one could have ridden him better than Craig (Williams),” O’Brien said.
“It’s great to get another Group 1 with Damien, we’ve obviously won a lot of races together and go back a long way.”
Westbury Stud graduate
Bred by Gerry Harvey, she was sourced at New Zealand Bloodstock’s National Yearling Sale for NZ$120,000 out of the draft of Westbury Stud and credited its resident stallion Reliable Man (GB) with his first Australian Group 1 winner.
Miami Bound was subsequently named after a planned trip by O’Brien with friends to the Super Bowl in the United States next year.
Miami Bound (NZ) as a yearling
O’Brien also trained Arapaho Miss’ first foal De Little Engine (Encosta de Lago) to win nine races, including the Listed Andrew Ramsden S. and the dam has a brother to Miami Bound at foot. She is currently in foal to Tarzino (NZ).
That inside knowledge of the filly’s family served O’Brien well in the Oaks build-up.
“It gives you confidence in what they can do as long as you manage their careers right and get them to the distances where they will be competitive. She’s really turned up for us,” he said.
Miami Bound (NZ) cruised home to win by 3l
Miami Bound was caught three wide in midfield, but she did have cover and Oliver was able to track the Mark Kavanagh-trained Vegas Jewel (NZ) (Shocking) to the turn.
“It was a great effort and it wasn’t the prettiest of rides,” Oliver said. “She threw me a bit before the race because she stopped and didn’t want to go in the mounting yard.
“She threw me a bit before the race because she stopped and didn’t want to go in the mounting yard.” – Damien Oliver
“Then in the preliminary around to the 600 and she stopped again and didn’t want to go to the gates. I just wasn’t sure what was going on with her.
“I was a bit indecisive from the gate and got caught a little bit deep, but fortunately I was able to get a bit of cover off Kavanagh’s horse which took us as far into the straight as it could.
“We were left in front a fair way out and I think she was the best stayer in the race and she was just too good.”
Damien Oliver wasn't convinced Miami Bound (NZ) would hit form at the right time, until her win in the Wakeful S.
However, it wasn’t until Miami Bound’s Wakeful victory that Oliver was convinced he was on an Oaks winner.
“I wasn’t really sure until her last start when she was really strong and that gave me a lot of confidence and she hit form at just the right time,” he said.
The longshot Never Listen (Trusting) finished runner-up and a major thrill for Scone trainer John Ramsey, who was saddling his first runner in Victoria.
Moonlight Maid (Puissance De Lune {Ire}) made ground from well back in the running for third ahead of Gamay (Pierro) and a game Vegas Jewel, who was forced to cover extra ground with no cover from the widest gate.
